“she probably also felt some personal level of fear for herself and any family members.”
Do you mean to say that she could not have remained anonymous?
Well, its not unreasonable for her to be concerned about that. Who wants to take chances and roll the dice when it comes to the security of your family?
Granted, her family members were already endangered by the “activity” next door. They were at risk of being blown up if something accidentally detonated. That’s how I would have looked at it.
But even is she could remain anonymous, the Muzzies might have suspected her (i.e., seen her as the one who “dropped the dime” on them). She’s right next door after all; her neighbors and associates could have easily sensed her suspicion by the way she looked at them.
In suburbia, most neighbors will put up with a lot before they call the police on their neighbors.
The poor lady was in a bad position. She will be haunted by this for years to come.